Fragile As A Rose
by ilovespikespiegel
Summary: Howl Elizabeth Marianna II is found unconscious by Sebastian and Ciel. When Ciel agrees to let the girl reside in his mansion, she starts to fall for his demon butler Sebastian. But how will a relationship work out between the Queen's niece and a demon?


"Young master, it's time to wake up now. Breakfast has already been prepared," Sebastian Michaelis said while placing poached salmon and mint salad on the young boy's desk. "Side dishes of toast, scones, and campagne have been baked. Which one would you like?"

"The scone," Ciel Phantomhive said while yawning before sharply saying, "Sebastian."

The demonic butler was right at his young master's whenever need be, whatever the situation. "Yes my lord?" His fingers moved like lightning, dressing the boy and making the bed in what seemed like only the blink of an eye.

Ciel moved to his desk and ate his breakfast as usual, while his butler waited for the boy's request. Ceylon tea was served with breakfast that morning in the Wedgwood Blue-White tea set; a heavenly aroma filled the room.

"I want to go to the aquarium today. The others may come along as well." His voice was rather pleasant; thought monotonous and somewhat emotionless at times, the Earl of the noble house of Phantomhive was still a twelve-year-old boy who rather enjoyed doing normal things every so often.

Sebastian smiled and nodded. "Very well my lord, I shall round up the others and we can leave in, oh say, perhaps an hour."

The black-haired, red-eyed man plopped an envelope onto his young master's desk and said, "By the way, young master, there was a letter from the Queen for you," before turning on his heel and leaving the room swiftly.

Ciel scanned the envelope; it was identical to the one he received the last time she had a job for him, even right down to the wax seal on the back. He knew he couldn't refuse her requests, not even if he wanted to; he was Queen Victoria's guard dog after all.

He slid his finger beneath the seal, breaking the wax emblem, and slid out the letter written ever so elegantly.

_To the Earl of Phantomhive,_

_Considering your success in every task I have asked you to complete, I have decided that it is safe to entrust you with this very important duty. Teenage girls have been disappearing from their homes for four weeks in Opal Village. Everyone is terrified to go to sleep, people are rioting in the streets, and somewhere caught up in all of this chaos is my great-great niece, Howl Elizabeth Marianna II. She went missing three days ago and nobody has been able to find even a single lead on her whereabouts. It would mean a great deal to me if you would find my beloved niece, and stop these kidnappings at once._

_With cordial good wishes, _

_Queen Victoria_

Ciel placed the letter on his desk and sighed. "Sebastian!"

"Yes my lord? The others will be ready in a moment's-"

The young boy held up his hand to stop the butler from speaking. "No, that won't work. We have to go to Opal Village today. The Queen's great-great niece, Howl Elizabeth Marianna II, was kidnapped three days ago."

Sebastian was interrupted quite a bit by Ciel, often in mid-sentence, but he never complained. In fact, he rather expected it from Ciel because Ciel knew that Sebastian's mere purpose for existence was only to serve Ciel. So whether Ciel was rude or not, he was Sebastian's master.

"Hmm...her niece, you say? Well then, that seems like a very urgent-" Sebastian was yet again interrupted by the other three house workers running up the stairs and bursting into the room, dressed in casual clothing.

"We're ready to go Master Ciel!" Mey-Rin exclaimed from behind her thick round glasses.

Ciel sighed and stood up behind his desk. "There's been a change of plans. Sebastian and I are needed in Opal Village. The three of you will stay," he paused when he saw how disappointed the three of them were. "You can still go to the aquarium if you would like. That is fine with me. Make sure you take Tanaka as well."

Finnie, Bard, and Mey-Rin jumped in excitement, well Bard didn't exactly _jump_, before they ran downstairs; Mey-Rin thanked Ciel quickly.

Ciel sat back down and fidgeted with his ring in its usual location on his left thumb. His ring was a Phantomhive family heirloom that was passed down throughout several generations. The blue stone was clear and rich, as was the silver frame surrounding it, even after it was smashed on the ground by a very distraught Lizzie, _and_ then thrown out the window by an even more distraught, though he never showed it, Ciel. Sebastian had retrieved the ring almost immediately after it was thrown, repaired it, and then slipped it back onto his young master's finger.

Sebastian looked past the boy, out the window for a few moments, observing the wildlife, the wind, the sun.

"Let's leave now Sebastian," Ciel requested.

His demonic butler nodded and smirked. "As you wish my lord."

* * *

><p>The Earl of Phantomhive sat in the back of a horse drawn carriage, pulled by two white horses, which were being driven by his butler, Sebastian Michaelis. It was a rather gloomy day; the clouds covered the majority of the sky and left no breaches for the sunlight to shine through. The horses' hooves and the wooden carriage wheels clacked against the cobblestone road rhythmically and repetitively.<p>

Opal Village was not extremely far away but it was quite a ways away from civilization. That much was evident when the cobblestone path turned into an unmarked dirt road into the woods.

Ciel leaned forward and rested his elbows against the opposite seat, about a foot below the driver's seat where Sebastian sat. "How much longer until we arrive?"

"Not much longer my lord. Do you need something?" He said smoothly from his seat, not taking his eyes off the road even once.

Satisfied, the young boy replied, "No, I just wanted to know how much longer it would take. I still would like to go to the aquarium sometime today."

"We can stop for a rest if you want young master," he flashed a smirk at Ciel.

Ciel leaned back in his seat and shook his head. "No that isn't necessary. Just get there as soon as possible."

Sebastian nodded and sped the horses up a slight bit. A few minutes later, a sign came into view. It was a rugged wooden sign that had the words _Opal Village_ painted on it in faded black lettering. Sebastian brought the horses to a stop and waited.

"Why have you stopped?" Ciel demanded sharply.

The butler gestured to the ground beside the sign; Ciel could not see what he was gesturing towards from his current position. Ciel leaned over to the side of the carriage and saw a young girl lying on the ground in a tattered pink dress.

Ciel hopped out of the carriage and knelt down beside the girl. "Sebastian! She's still alive, get her into the carriage!"

His butler obeyed, and as quick as lightning, he scooped up the girl into his arms and placed her on the seat of the carriage. She groaned and moaned and her head bobbed from side to side. Her wavy brown hair was knotted and hung amiss surrounding her pale face.

The Earl of Phantomhive glanced up at his butler and asked, "Is she going to be alright Sebastian?"

"Yes my lord; she is simply unconscious at the moment. She looks quite a few years older than you are sir. Perhaps she is the Queen's niece?"

"Doubtful. It would be pretty difficult to kidnap an eighteen-year-old girl don't you think?" Ciel's face remained as stone as the girl tossed and turned miserably.

Sebastian held to his suspicions that the girl was in fact, Howl Elizabeth Marianna II, the great-great niece of Queen Victoria. But he spent no time in arguing with Ciel. The young girl was in need of medical attention right away, she was bleeding profusely from a wound on her shoulder and inner thigh.

"We can't just let her lie in the carriage like this while we investigate in Opal Village. Sebastian, turn the carriage around. We will leave her at the mansion under the others' care and then return here," Ciel sat on the seat opposite where the girl was lying.

Sebastian's gaze turned from the girl to Ciel and then back at the road they had just traveled. "But sir, the others are at the aquarium today, remember?"

"Fine, then we will just have to find some way to take her along with us. At least until she wakes up and can tell us her name, that is," Ciel said seemingly slightly annoyed.

Sebastian, on the other hand, did not mind having the girl around. She seemed rather...interesting.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This is my first Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler story so I am not sure how good it is. I have only watched 10 episodes of the first season at the moment so I don't know _too_ much about the series yet. Anyway, this will be a SebastianxOC story; the OC is the girl known as Howl. **

**Reviews are very appreciated! I am also looking for a Beta Reader for this!**

**Once Howl is formally introduced, the story will be in the first person point of view from her point of view.**


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